While the beef industry offers consumers many choices when it comes to items in the meat case or options on a menu, one beef product remains the overwhelming leader. From January through July of this year, Ground Beef products have comprised 49% of retail sales in the U.S. in terms of volume and 37% of dollars.1 Consumers see Ground Beef as a versatile, affordable, and frequent meal option. According to the Beef Checkoff-funded Consumer Beef Tracker, nearly 60% of consumers eat Ground Beef as an ingredient and over 50% consume a hamburger at least weekly.2 There is no doubt shoppers demand a wide variety of options when it comes to food purchases, and Ground Beef rises to this challenge. Whether it is the form of the product, production-based claims, or the lean-to-fat ratio, Ground Beef allows consumers to choose products that fit their preference.
Due to an increase of consumer traffic resulting from pandemic dynamics, Ground Beef had a tremendous year at the retail level. Popular for its recipe versatility and ability to be frozen, Ground Beef saw an additional $2.05 billion in dollars sold at retail, totaling $12.4 billion for 2020.3 During the initial “stock-up” phase of the pandemic, Ground Beef was a key item that consumers desired to have ample supply of in their freezers. Over 80% of consumers reported having at least one Ground Beef meal stored in their freezer, while 30% reported having five or more.4 Whether consumers stock-piled cut-specific grinds, grassfed products, pre-formed patties, Ground Beef was an important protein in consumer diets throughout the pandemic.
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